# nation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈneɪʃən/ · frequency rank #1,400

## Definitions
1. A historically constituted, stable community of people, formed based on a common language, territory, economic life, ethnicity and/or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture.
2. A historically constituted, stable community of people, formed based on a common language, territory, economic life, ethnicity and/or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture.
3. A sovereign state; (loosely, metonymic, proscribed) a country.
4. An association of students based on the birthplace or ethnicity of its members.
5. A great number; a great deal.
6. In North America, an Indigenous people with federal and/or state recognition as such and (often also) their federally recognized territory.

## Etymology
From Middle English nacioun, nacion, from Old French nacion, from Latin nātiōnem, accusative of nātiō (“nation”). Displaced native Old English þēod.

## Easily confused with
- **NATO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-nato)
- **native** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-native)
- **notion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-notion)
- **nations** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-nations)
- **notions** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-notions)
- **national** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-national)
- **notation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-notation)
- **negation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nation-vs-negation)
- **Nathan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nathan-vs-nation)

## Common misspellings (9)
`antion`, `naiton`, `nasion`, `natino`, `nationn`, `natoin`, `nattion`, `nnation`, `ntaion`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nation